What Happens in Suna
by Shepard of the Lost
Summary: Sasuke finally returns to the village. Bad news for Neji. With Sasuke back, his chances of geting Naruto to fall in love with him are shot. And to make matters worse, a series of kidnapings in the sand village. But everything happens for a reason...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Konichiwa! Yuki-chan here! I'm back from my oh-so-long break, if you could call it that. I got swamped in homework and almost didn't make its dead line! I'm a little rusty so chapters will be short for the time being but those who are loyal shall be rewarded! :D**

**This fanfiction has some sasunaru but it's mostly about a Neji/Gaara paring. I can't help it, I love that couple. I have no idea why; I just do. Don't knock it till ya try it. Anyway, Neji like Naruto but Naruto and Sasuke are a couple. Sai and Sakura, Ino and Choji, Shikamaru and Temari, and Kakashi and Iruka are all the other couples I got so far. I'll probably fit some more in along the way. I don't plan things very well… But I'm rambling. ^_^; On with the show!**

Neji Hyuuga was making his way home after a long day of grocery shopping with his little cousin, Hinata Hyuuga. The two had become a bit closer over the years. Neji had been bonding with a lot of people lately; particularly, Naruto Uzumaki. Over the years of Sasuke Uchiha's absence, Naruto had clung to the closest thing to Sasuke. Neji's high-and-mighty attitude had fit the bill. The young adults were very close friends, now, and the Hyuuga couldn't have been happier to have his secret crush of three years, show so much interest in him. However, the recent capture of Sasuke Uchiha had brought the brunette's bliss to a screeching halt.

Yes, the traitor, Sasuke Uchiha, had been captured by none other than Naruto and was to be under close observation until the punishment for his crimes had been decided. Months passed and the council was leaning toward the death penalty for the young Uchiha. Had it not been for Naruto and Tsunade, Sasuke would have died. You see, over these many months the council members were taking to make their decision, Naruto and Sasuke had taken the leap into a forbidden love. When Naruto learned that his beloved Sasuke might be executed, he begged Tsunade for her help. The older women pitied the younger man, who had become like a brother to her. Of course, the hokage had no problem persuading the old men into seeing her way.

Thus, here they were now. Neji held out a vague sense of hope that his blonde angel would realize his affection for him and that they would be together. For a genius, he seriously lacked common sense. The two relatives were nearly home. Thunder rolled across the sky and, suddenly, it started pouring. Hinata let out a small cry and tried to cover the bag of food she was carrying. Neji did the same and the two tried to run the rest of the way home, but the storm only got worse and they took refuge under a podium in front of an apartment complex. Out of the corner of his eye, the older Hyuuga noticed two other figures just a few feet from where he and his cousin stood. He couldn't help but look to see who it was. He instantly wished he hadn't.

Sasuke and Naruto stood, completely engulfed in a deep and passionate kiss and, judging by the way Sasuke was rubbing his knee into Naruto's groin, the kiss would soon lead to something much more. Neji suddenly felt an enormous weight in his chest; a dull, persistent ache. His arms and legs felt like rubber. But he somehow managed to keep his composure and calmly walk away from the situation. Hinata had noticed the two boys as well. Though it pained her to know she would never have her beloved Naruto, she was happy for him and had grown accustomed to the sight of the couple. Neji, on the other hand, had yet to see for himself, that the two really were together. She worried about her cousin and quietly fallowed after him.

"N-Neji-kun, are you alright?" her timid voice, barely audible over the thudding rain.

"Yes, why do you ask?" he said, in a surprisingly steady voice.

"You just left so quickly…were you offended by Naruto-kun and-"

"I said I was fine."

Hinata flinched at the sharpness in his voice. She figured it was better not to talk to him at this point. No, the girl was completely unaware of her older cousin's infatuation with another man. Hinata's "gaydar" was practically nonexistent. The only reason she knew about Naruto was through friends and her own eyes. But, then again, Neji was very good at hiding his emotions behind a continuous scowl. Very few new he was gay (and they knew to keep their mouths shut about it).

Neji's pace quickened, Hinata, struggling to keep up. He had a mission tomorrow. He needed to get a full nights rest.

**. . .**

"You'll be going to the sand village to help out with a series of kidnappings. Normally, I would say certain matters such as these would be none of our concern but there was something off about these crimes that raised a red flag. I want you and four other shinobi of your choice to find out what that something is." Tsunade explained. There was no room for argument.

The young genius thought about his choices, carefully. He would take Naruto, of course, but who else? He wouldn't really need Hinata, Sakura might be useful (with her skill in healing justus) and Sai was an excellent spy. With the people he had in mind he would be ready for almost anything; sudden injury, suspects, brute strength and brains to tie it all together. But there was one thing he knew he had no choice but to cover; tactical combat. If they did end up having to fight an enemy that was smarter than he had anticipated, Naruto and Sai wouldn't be enough to take him out without casualties on their side. Any other shinobi he knew, that would be able to help, was already on a mission. Sasuke would be the only still available (and with Naruto, he would be allowed to go outside the village).

"Well, Neji, do you know who you want?"

With a scowl, he listed the four shinobi of his choice and Tsunade approved. They were to meet at the edge of the village in three hours. The hokage gave him a concerned look and seemed she was contemplating whether to say something or not. The Hyuuga bowed and left without another word. He still needed to pack and he was in no mood for a women's nosiness.

He made it home with no trouble at all and began to pack food and weapons before heading off to the rendezvous point. A few hours to himself would be nice just before a mission that nobody knew how long it would be. It would take three days to hike to the sand village and with Sasuke and Naruto coming along, as well, for Neji, it would be a very hellish three days. If the two tried anything romantic, he would defiantly lose it.

Neji arrived at his destination and sat down to relax. The sun was just beginning to rise. It cast a neon rainbow across the clouds and trees. The brunette found himself in a rather deep sense of thought. It had been quite a while since the last time he had seen the current kazekage of the hidden sand. He wondered how much Gaara had change. The last time he had met the younger boy he was much shorter than he. Had that changed?

Apparently, Neji had been keeping himself occupied enough for him to lose track of the time because, the next thing he knew he was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hay, Neji!" cried Naruto, in enthusiastic greeting.

"Naruto," Neji responded calmly, "_Sasuke." _He was barely able to hide the hiss in his voice. Neither boy seemed to notice.

"So, where are the others?" Naruto had been fully briefed on the mission, right down to the people in the squad.

"They should be here soon. You actually came early." Neji pointed out in mild surprise.

"Yeah, I was excited! I haven't seen Gaara in a while."

"I see."

"Aw, come on Neji! You know I don't think I've ever seen you laugh. Get more excited!"

"Hn." It was true Neji Hyuuga very seldom even smiled, let alone laughed. These days, he didn't have much to laugh about. Another thirty minutes passed before Sai and Sakura showed up. They took a minute to discuss their plan of action and began their three day journey to the sand village.

Little did they know, the seemingly simple mission would play a huge role in the near future…


	2. Chapter 2

The three day trek to Suna was going smoothly. Neji stayed in the back of the group, not only to keep an eye on the possible enemies that could come up from any direction, but to keep one on Sasuke and Naruto. If they got too close the Hyuuga would get a sudden burst of speed and end up separating them to a comfortable distance. It didn't take long for Sasuke to realize what he was doing but there wasn't much he could do about it while they were moving. When the time came for rest, however, it was a very different story.

Sasuke wasn't allowed to be left alone for any period of time and he was always on his best behavior around Naruto so when the Uchiha insisted he be the one to gather food, of course, Naruto would have to go with him. Neji watched as his beloved blonde angel left with the traitor. He didn't bother to hide the hatred behind his pay eyes (although his facial expression didn't change that much considering he always had a scowl on his face).

The two shinobi were gone for quite some time but returned with plenty of fish to feed the small group. With their bellies full, everyone made a place to sleep and went to bed for the night. Everyone was asleep relatively quickly except for Neji. He couldn't help but notice how Sasuke and Naruto were snuggled up against each other. A deep sense of hate was beginning to for in the pit of his stomach. Neji would have liked nothing more than to have killed the raven in his sleep. In fact, the only thing keeping him from doing just that was the fact that Naruto seemed to truly care for the other man, quite deeply. This only made Neji feel worse, though.

To him, Naruto's happiness was his number one priority, but he would often give in to the selfish desire for more. He wanted Naruto to himself and he would do anything to get him…

**. . .**

The next day, was routine. They moved hastily but not at full speed. At the end of the day, Naruto and Sasuke went off to gather food and fire wood as they had done the previous day and the third day was the same as that. All the while, Neji was brooding in self pity, hidden behind a mask of indifference.

By the end of the third day, however, they had finally made it to the hidden sand village, where they were met by Temari and Kankuro.

"Hey, long time no see, eh, Naruto." Kankuro greeted the smaller blonde with a friendly face and a firm handshake.

"Gaara's been pretty eager to see you again. It's been far too long." stated Temari.

"Then let's not keep him waiting!" Naruto was more excited than he had ever been.

The two siblings escorted the leaf ninja to the Kazekage's office. Along the way, they certainly attracted the attention of young shinobi and common villagers who had never seen a foreign ninja before. At one point a mob of children rushed them and it took all of Naruto and Sakura's child-handling skills to get them to let them pass. Naruto ended up promising to teach them a new jutsu as long as they were in the village. It worked. It would probably come back to haunt them but it worked nonetheless and they finally made it to where Gaara had been waiting for them.

"What took you so long, Naruto?" the young kazekage asked jokingly as the two friends exchanged greetings.

"Hey, between your local kids and the ridiculously huge distance between the village gate and this place, you're lucky we got here at all!" Naruto shot back.

Gaara looked amused but, naturally, he didn't laugh, "That's true. Alright then, down to business. I'm sure you've heard of the string of kidnappings."

They all nodded and Neji stepped forward, "We don't have any of the details. You'll have to fill us in on any patters this guy might have."

"That's just it; they don't seem to have a pattern. They take any person they can. There's no specific time, place, or even an age they favor. They've even taken shinobi…" the redhead trailed off.

Neji waited for him to continue but when he didn't, Temari stepped in, "One of the people who were kidnapped…was a former student of Gaara's, Matsuri."

Now it made sense. Neji remembered the girl from many years ago when they had aided in her rescue. Gaara and the girl had seemed close then. It's only natural they would have grown even closer over the years.

"I see…" Neji couldn't help but feel sorry for the younger man. He knew all too well how it felt to have someone you were close to taken away. This mission was quickly becoming personal. When the briefing was finished and the group had all the information they could get, Temari and Kankuro led them to their rooms.

Unfortunately, spare rooms were limited and everyone but Neji had to share a room with each other. Sakura and Sai seemed oddly eager about sharing a room and Naruto and Sasuke had no complaints. However, Neji felt left out. He was alone, in more ways than one. Lying in bed, the Hyuuga quickly found he couldn't sleep at all. He found himself wondering the halls of the large mansion that was the Kazekage's home. He didn't know why or even how he ended up in front of Gaara's office, but just as he was about to pass the heavy double doors, the kazekage himself walked out and looked straight at Neji.

"You're still awake?" Gaara seemed slightly confused.

"I couldn't sleep. Why are you still up?"

"I'm the kazekage. My responsibilities come first. Did you simply come to make small talk or is there something important you'd like to discuss."

Neji, immediately, felt himself blush and fought to keep it down. Why the hell was he here?

"Uh…no, sorry." He turned away, his cheeks growing even hotter.

"Alright then, excuse me." Gaara began to walk away when Neji felt the familiar ache of loneliness. Not knowing what else to do, the Hyuuga spoke up, "What is she to you…?" he instantly regretted saying anything. Gaara stopped in his tracks.

"…She…is a dear friend. If worst comes to worst…" the kazekage found himself unable to finish.

Neji's heart went out to the other man. He felt an obligation…no…a desire to end the younger man's suffering as soon as possible. Even if his emptiness would never go away, he could at least keep another from feeling that same emptiness.

"Gaara…don't worry. We'll get her back, no matter what." Pale eyes met sea green and, at that moment, they both felt a deep sense of trust between each other. It was an unexplainable feeling; neither had ever experienced something like this.

"…Thank you, Neji Hyuuga."

**. . .**

A not so well rested Neji Hyuuga was standing guard, the east side of the village. Despite feeling slightly better after the light talk he and Gaara had shared, he was still unable to get to sleep and only got about an hour or two of real rest. The desert sun wasn't helping either. He found himself dosing off from time to time and often had to run around a bit to stay awake.

The group had no idea when or where the kidnapper was going to strike next. They had split up into the north, south, east, and west sections of the village and were taking day shifts while a squad of sand ninja took the night. Nothing special had happened so far. How long would this go on?

Neji began pacing around his assigned area. The streets weren't very crowded in this part of the village. If someone did decide to kidnap someone here, surly it wouldn't go unnoticed. No one would be foolish enough to-

"HELP!!"

"Damn it!" Neji cursed as he rushed to the source of the cry.

He cursed himself for letting his guard down and moved faster than he ever had before. He made it to the scene, just in time to catch a glimpse of the criminal carrying away an unconscious girl. The brunette made an attempt to see any features of the criminal and fallowed after him as fast as he could, but the kidnaper was one step ahead of the genius.

With a flick of the wrist, a kunai flew through the air and seemed to miss its target. That is, until it exploded a few feet behind Neji. Debris from the explosion went flying everywhere and the blast its self was enough to knock the Hyuuga to the ground. He scrambled to his feet but when he looked up, the man and the girl were gone.

A sharp pain in his back and right leg told him he shouldn't move and call for back up through the wireless radio (which he had so intelligently turned off an hour ago), but his pride only got in the way. He forced himself to his feet and took a few steps forward before fall flat on his face. There was a fine line between pride and stupidity and Neji was beginning to teeter on it. He gave in and flipped on the wireless radio.

"S-Sakura…I've been injured… The bastard got away…" he said in defeat.

"I'm on my way! Hold on!" Sakura answered, hurriedly.

"…Damn it…" Neji lost consciousness.

**AN: Hmm…I feel rather inadequate. I can't seem to get the words out anymore. :P I'm terribly sorry for the short chapters but I promise I'll warm up to it soon enough. In the mean time, please review! It definitely inspires me to right more sooner! :D**

**~Yuki-chan **


	3. Chapter 3

Neji woke in what he could only assume to be the hospital. It didn't look like much of a hospital and the medical staff was scarce. The village of Suna was well behind Konoha's own medical ward. He sat up to get a better look at the room he was resting in.

Moments later, Sakura entered the room. She had made a big fuss over her being the only one allowed to work on Neji. The girl had a slight trust issue.

"How are you feeling Neji? Does it still hurt anywhere?" she asked in a surprisingly motherly tone.

"I feel fine, just a little sore. What happened to the girl?" concerned, pale eyes looked up into bright green.

"We didn't find any trace of a girl. What happened? It's not like you to be beaten so easily."

"…I just…let my guard down, that's all…" He didn't even notice Sakura going on about his injuries. He was too lost in his own thoughts. What _had_ happened? What could have possibly distracted him enough to make him drop his guard like that? It seemed his infatuation with Naruto was beginning to affect his mind as well as his body. He hadn't gotten enough sleep last night because he couldn't stop thinking about his blonde angel. Something had to change or the Hyuuga might not be so lucky next time.

"Neji, did you hear me?" Sakura asked when she eventually realized he wasn't listening.

"Yeah, sure; rest and recovery, blah blah blah." The brunette was in no mood to listen to anyone (even someone who could easily bash his pretty little face in for saying something like that). He rolled over on his side away from Sakura. But, instead of getting mad, the pink-haired girl simply sighed and said something that even Neji Hyuuga would never have seen coming, "You'll have to get over him sooner or later."

Neji shot up and stared at her in bewilderment. She new! How could she have known? He thought he had kept it so well hidden…

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I've seen the way you look at him. It's so obvious you have a crush on Naruto… Well, that coupled with the fact that you talk in your sleep, I'm pretty sure that's the case." She gave him a comforting smile but Neji only looked down at his clenched fists, "…Neji, I know what you're going through, believe me. But everything will work out in the end, I promise." She placed a hand on one of his and it seemed to ease him just a little.

It was true Sakura had sworn up and down she was in love with Sasuke Uchiha. In fact, she had confessed to him multiple times. But the raven just simply was not interested (more or less because of Naruto, but still). Neji remembered the girl moping about the village for some time but never really knew why. At the time he was still in utter denial about Sasuke and Naruto's partnership. At least her bad mood made sense to him now; there was only the reason why she was so happy all the time currently.

"…How? How did you get over _him_?" I was clear Neji still held some disapproval of Sasuke.

"Easy; I found someone else. Someone who makes me happy because they accept me for who I am instead of miserable because they want someone else." She answered with a solemn smile. She patted the brunette on the shoulder, lightly, and left without another word.

She thought about having a word with Naruto but figured it was better to just let things work out on their own. For now, the kazekage wanted to speak with the rest of them about the most recent kidnapping. It wouldn't be a good idea to move Neji just yet so one of them would have to fill him in on any updates.

"Oi, you're so slow Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, a few feet down the hall, "How's Neji? Is he going to be able to complete the mission?"

"He'll be fine with a little rest. He should be up and working again in no time." She said, smiling.

"That's a relief." Naruto responded with a sign.

With that said the group (Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and Sakura) all migrated toward the kazekage's office. The sand siblings were already there, waiting for them.

"Finally, I've already informed Kankuro and Temari of the change in plan. It seems there is more than one kidnapper. We will have to in couples from now on, for safety reasons… How is Neji Hyuuga?" Gaara hesitated with his question but it the vague hint of a caring tone did not go unnoticed.

With a gentle smile Sakura told the young kazekage that Neji would be alright and that he would be back to work in a week. Gaara was barely able to hide his relief. For some reason, he felt a sense of responsibility to the brunette's wellbeing.

"I've already asked for re-enforcement. The hokage has agreed to send a second, small squad to help track the multiple kidnappers while Hyuuga in resting." He continued.

"…How many?" Naruto asked, hesitantly.

"We aren't completely sure but we think there are at least three other culprits than the one that attacked Hyuuga." Gaara answered.

The blonde was feeling more nervous than usual. If these people could catch Neji off guard, what hope did he have? Would Sasuke be forced to save him? If his beloved raven was injured or even killed because of him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Sasuke's keen senses picked up on the blonde's distress and laced his fingers through the others in a comforting gesture. It seemed to work. Naruto was instantly more relaxed and gently squeezed the raven's hand in return. Sasuke smiled slightly and returned his attention to the kazekage.

"The new squad will be here in a day or two. Until they arrive, everyone will have to pick up the slack and work in pairs. This means twice the ground to cover on patrol. As for the night shifts, I don't expect any of the leaf shinobi to participate but it would be greatly appreciated." Gaara was in full kazekage mode now. He had everyone's full attention. The red-head was only eighteen years old but he had matured well beyond his years.

The meeting was dismissed and the shinobi of the leaf broke up into pairs. With the new teams made, there were only two groups (Sasuke with Naruto and Sakura with Sai). Kankuro and Temari had agreed to help but it would still be a hand full. And though she didn't let on, Sakura had a sinking feeling about this mission.

**. . .**

Night fell quickly and the patrol team for the day shift retired to their beds. All slept peacefully, except for Gaara. Though the shukaku had been gone for several years, the young red head was still plagued by nightmares. Occasionally, he would fall into a dreamless sleep but those seemed to be no more restful than the nightmares. He had stayed late in his office to finish off a bit of boring paperwork to avoid his own sleep but the work was just a temporary escape that he exhausted quickly. With nothing else to do but no desire to go to sleep, he felt a sudden desire to see the Hyuuga boy.

When Gaara had seen Neji again for the first time in years, it was refreshing to say the least. He had to stop himself from pulling the brunette into a welcoming embrace. The truth was, Gaara had always been fond of the older boy but never really understood his own feelings well enough to actually confess anything to him. He still didn't quite understand his feelings. All he knew was that he only needed to be near Neji to get a warm feeling somewhere deep within him. He enjoyed the feeling but sense he had been separated from the Hyuuga for so long; he had forgotten how addictive the feeling could be.

He quickly found himself in front of the medical ward and decided he had come all this way; it would be stupid to turn back now. Neji would be asleep by now anyway. He would never know he was there. He leisurely walked down the halls until he found the room the older brunette was staying in.

The moonlight caressed his pale skin, his mouth just slightly open in a deep sleep. The warm feeling returned to Gaara with full force and he felt his cheeks turn hot. Just a little closer… He only wanted to be a little closer to the older man for just a little longer. The closer he got to Neji the warmer he felt. He couldn't help but think if the feeling would intensify even more if he touched him. A pale hand reached over to brush against an even paler face. His skin was so smooth and soft…

'_Just a little more…'_ Gaara chanted to himself.

He pulled his face down toward Neji's. Crimson hair mingled with long dark brunette. Their lips brushed against one another and the heat within Gaara was so great he felt he might pass out. He wanted nothing more than to continue nursing his addiction but beneath his touch, the Hyuuga stirred and Gaara sprang away as if he'd been burned.

When Neji's eyes fluttered open he was alone. For some reason, his loneliness stung even more. He couldn't recall any dreaming of Naruto so why would he feel this way? He sat up and scanned the room, half expecting to see someone, anyone but no. He convinced himself that he had dreamt of Naruto but didn't remember. There was nothing more to it than that. He lay back down and attempted to sleep but the ache in his chest was too much. Sleep would not return to him tonight.

He slipped out of bed and wandered down the halls for no apparent reason other than shier boredom. There was no one around in the halls, no one to tell him that walking may only make things worse, no one to make him lay back down. He kept walking, ignoring the sharp pain that shot up his spine and the burn that radiated through his muscles. He kept walking; vainly hoping his beloved Naruto would come for him. But he didn't come.

His legs began to shake and he couldn't hold himself up any longer. With just one more step, he tripped and closed his eyes, waiting for his face to make contact with the floor. When that pain didn't come he opened his eyes and looked up into pale green ones.

"You shouldn't be up at this hour." He said calmly.

"Neither should you, Kazekage-sama." He responded in a dull tone.

"I'm not the one with injuries"

"Heh…"

Gaara could only thank God it was too dark for Neji to see his reddened face. The red head had been contemplating whether he should go back to the Hyuuga's room or turn tail and run when the brunette wandered over and made the decision for him. The young kazekage couldn't believe what he had just done and to someone completely unaware of his actions no less. Fact that Neji was another male didn't bother him as much as the fact that he had nearly kissed a sleeping person. But he just couldn't help himself.

The brunette had looked so beautiful in the moonlight and the heat that the mere sight of him caused was all to tantalizing. Gaara began to feel the familiar warmth once more only this time it was in his loins…

That had never happened before.

The kazekage suddenly found his self in a hurry to get out of the uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible. He knew Neji couldn't see anything but it was still embarrassing. With one arm holding Hyuuga's around his neck and another on his waist, he quickly helped Neji back to his bed and began to leave when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to see Neji as the culprit.

"Um…do you think," he looked away; a faint blush dusting his cheeks, "that you could stay a bit longer…" the light blush had become much more vivid now.

Gaara didn't say anything. He simply sat on the bed, next to Neji, and waited for the other man to fall asleep. When he finally did, however, he looked as though he was in quite a bit of pain and in turn caused Gaara great discomfort. He couldn't help himself. He reached over once more to caress the cheek of this beautiful man.

At that moment, Neji's pained expression turned to something a little more peaceful…

**AN: Wow, sorry for the long wait all. I don't even have a good excuse. Again, sorry for the short chapter. I am getting a little better though. **** Don't forget, reviews are love! 3**

**~Yuki-chan**


	4. Chapter 4

Neji awoke feeling very refreshed and completely alone. He remembered Gaara being there last night but he must have left when the other boy fell asleep. He didn't really expect the kazekage to stay as long as he did. It wasn't fair to ask so much of him. After all, he was the kazekage. He probably had more important things to do than babysit a needy, heartbroken shinobi like Neji. On top of that, the young Hyuuga had only truly been searching for a way to fill the emptiness he felt when he was alone and Gaara already had someone precious to him; Matsuri.

Gaara had been nothing but kind and welcoming to him ever since they arrived in Suna. It would next to heartless to even try and steal him away from her and deep down Neji really wasn't so cold. Not since he met Naruto…

Shaking off the last bit of sleep, Neji threw off the thick blanket and rolled out of bed. A dull ache coursed through his body but he ignored it. Steadying himself, the brunette began to walk toward the private bathroom in his hospital room. It was proving more difficult than it should have been. The pain didn't ease away like he thought it would and was making his little journey to the bathroom more like a training exercise.

"You know, that probably isn't very good for your injuries." Neji heard a familiar voice call out. He turned to see none other than Gaara leaning against the far wall and sipping at a drink, "Do need any help?" he asked, sounding rather amused.

"I'm fine." Neji answered stubbornly.

"Alright then." Gaara made no attempt to argue or persuade the brunette to consider otherwise. He simply sat back and watched as Neji slowly inched his way to the bathroom door, appearing to be in more pain than he was willing to admit.

"Are you sure you don't want just a little help?" Gaara was beginning to get concerned the stubborn boy would tear his stitches. That would set his recovery back a few more weeks.

"I said I'm fine." He panted. He took one more step but tripped over his own two feet and if it hadn't been for Gaara standing right there, he surely would have fallen and even make his injuries worse.

"I told you I was fine…" Neji was clearly in denial about his own health. It was clear to the red head, if the other man wasn't under constant surveillance, he would end up killing himself just by trying to get to the bathroom on his own each morning. That was something Gaara would not allow. He had already gone years without the warmth Neji gave him and now that he had it back he wasn't about to let go so easily.

"You're going to have to learn, you can't do everything on your own in this condition. For now, you have strict limitations. If you try to move on your own, you'll tear your stitches and if there isn't anyone around to help you, you might even bleed to death so just swallow your pride and let people help you." The younger red head was clearly upset with Neji. In return, the brunette felt a twinge of guilt for making him so displeased.

"…Alright." He said submissively.

Gaara helped him the rest of the way to the bathroom before letting him go. He wasn't going to help him with _everything_. He felt a little embarrassed even think what Neji might be doing in the privacy of the bathroom. Even if it was something completely innocent, he still knew and it made things awkward. But when Neji was finished and needed help getting back to bed, all sense of embarrassment was replaced with a kind of parental affection. And with Neji looking much younger than he really was, it only made the feeling stronger.

When Neji laid back down, the ache immediately eased and he felt much better. Without the constant stream of pain coursing through his body, the brunette suddenly found himself able to think clearly and was quite embarrassed by his own behavior. He must have looked absolutely ridiculous practically crawling on the floor just to use the bathroom. On top of that, he had been a burden to Gaara who had to go out of his way to help him to and from his bed. At least, that's what he thought.

In truth, Gaara quite enjoyed being in close contact with the young Hyuuga. The warmth he had become so addicted to ever since the shinobi's arrival had been very comforting to the red head. He wanted to hold the other boy, to try and understand these strange feelings he only got when he was around Neji. Would that be out of line? Would the Hyuuga allow him to attempt something so forward? The young kazekage was afraid that if he did try something like this, the pale brunette wouldn't come near him again. Just the thought of losing the one thing that made him feel this way tour at his heart.

"Gaara?" Neji spoke, snapping the younger man out of his depressing thoughts.

"What is it?" Gaara answered, sounding more surprised than annoyed.

"Don't you have anything better to do than sit around and monitor someone like me all day? I mean, you must be busy being the kazekage and all…"

"Actually, there isn't much to do. Any paperwork I had left was completed last night. I have absolutely nothing to do today…" he paused for an instant, "Besides, you're good company."

Neji's face lit up. Did Gaara actually say that he liked being around him?! He couldn't have. He must just be hearing things…but he wanted it to be true.

"If you want me to leave, though…"

"N-no, that's fine. You can stay if you want." Neji looked away, his face turning even redder than before. Gaara almost smiled, the brunette looked so cute. He wanted to touch his blushing cheek (and maybe even more than that) but he refrained. It wouldn't be any good if it turned out the other boy didn't feel the same as he did. Gaara had grown more attached to him than he had intended. It was becoming harder and harder not to do anything inappropriate. Maybe if he just got a little closer…

The younger boy shifted just a bit closer, Neji eyeing him carefully. The Hyuuga wasn't sure if Gaara was uncomfortable or just board. Did he feel obligated to stay here? He had given him permission to leave. Perhaps he was only being nice. In any case, Gaara was much closer to him than he expected. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he give him more room? Did he want to be this close together? He decided to sit still and wait to see what Gaara would do next.

The red head was feeling more and bolder as he inched his way closer to the older Hyuuga. He didn't seem to dislike the close contact. He tried to inconspicuously bring his hand over the others but it didn't go unnoticed like he wanted. However, the brunette didn't seem to dislike this either. He glanced at the other boy and suddenly felt a rush of heat flood his face when he noticed how intently he was staring at the two hands and moved his hand away. There was a small noise from Neji, barely audible, but it was enough for Gaara to reassure himself that he should leave.

A nurse walked in just before he got up, "Kazekage-sama…uh…" she paused, realizing she had interrupted something, "Uh, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine. I was just leaving." Neji looked away.

"It's the ninja from the leaf. They've captured a suspect for the kidnappings."

Neji and Gaara both jumped. In an instant the kazekage was out the door, flying down the hall. The Hyuuga knew the other male didn't have a choice but to leave, but he still felt a pull of selfishness, telling him to call after him, to make him stay. But he had no right. The new captive may revile the location of the kidnapped, to Matsuri. He wasn't one to stand in the way of anyone's relationship. That's was partly why he hadn't tried to breakup Sasuke and Naruto.

Although, it would be easy enough, if he succeeded he wouldn't be able to live with the lie he would undoubtedly have to carry for his entire life. Besides, he couldn't do that to Naruto. The blonde was happy with Sasuke and all Neji really wanted was for Naruto to be happy, even if it wasn't because of him.

Elsewhere, said blonde was helping to keep an eye on the new suspect they had captured (none to easily, either). It was just a simple slip up on the villain's part but it was enough to allow him and Sasuke to catch him. Naruto was actually surprised by the raven's behavior. With them being alone together, he was sure he would have to use physical means to keep him off. But Sasuke was surprisingly well behaved.

Naruto peaked over at the gorgeous raven haired boy and had to stop himself from drooling a little. Sasuke was watching the captive intently, ready to spring at the slightest move. Once Gaara arrived, they would begin the interrogation. Small, dark part of Sasuke smiled at that while the rest of him was disgusted that even a tiny part of him would think that amusing. It was a dreadful habit he had picked up from his time with Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Moments later the door opened and Sakura, Sai, and Gaara (along with the head of the interrogation core, Temari) entered the room. The kazekage was struggling to maintain a calm composer. The man sitting before him was at least one of those who had been terrorizing his village for nearly two months. It might even be the one that tried to kill Neji Hyuuga…

Several hours of probing the suspect and they weren't any closer to finding the missing citizens of Suna. Temari was starting to lose her temper and was close to simply beating the desired information out of the silent captive. However, such behavior would be unacceptable and the suspect might possibly die from his injuries (Temari didn't really know her own strength). The older blonde girl had to leave the room for a moment to cool down before continuing the interrogation. Unfortunately, the prisoner took this as a sign of achievement and was even less likely to talk. Eventually, a jutsu of Sai's was attempted to render the man semiconscious and cooaperative.

"Alright, the jutsu is in effect." Sai claimed as the man's head bobbed as a sign of being half awake.

"Good, now tell us where the rest of your comrades are hiding!" Temari said, nearly yelling.

"…In the…west… There's a waterfall…hides us…they…" Sai sensed something was wrong. The man was being too vague. That's not what was supposed to happen.

"Hold on a minute." He said.

"What? What's wrong?" Temari was contemplating on bashing the pale boy's head in. And she was finally getting somewhere with the prisoner, too.

"There's something up. He's not being as specific as he should be when under the influence of this jutsu." Temari was silent.

"Sai, do you think…" Sakura looked at him questioningly, wondering what he was thinking but at the same time, know what it was.

With a nod the black haired boy continued, "I think we're going to need Neji here." Gaara looked almost excited and volunteered to fetch the brunette. Moments later he returned with said man, one arm around his waist to support the injured man.

"Neji, do you think you could use the byakugan for a moment. I have suspicions about this guy." Sai urged as he gestured to the captive. Neji was curious about the boy's reasoning but he complied. What he saw, no one expected.

"He's a puppet!" Neji called out in surprise.

"I was afraid of that. He's a human puppet. His master is off somewhere safe, telling him what to say and when to say it. The directions he just now told us could very well be a trap but they might be the only lead we have right now." Sai explained inquisitively.

Gaara thought about this for a moment. If it was a trap, could they be prepared for it enough to avoid casualties? What if the idea is to only lure the village's defenses away so they could capture their next target? Who _was_ their next target? There were so many different possible outcomes. But there was one thing the criminals didn't know. Gaara had sent for three fresh shinobi from the leaf and they would be here in a matter of days. They would wait until they arrived and then investigate the lead.

After sharing the plan of action with his comrades, the kazekage returned Neji to his room, "You were quite helpful today, Neji Hyuuga." He commented.

Neji blushed and refused to make eye contact with the other man, "It's not like I'm much use any other way; At least, not right now."

"Still, we wouldn't have know about the captive without you." A slight smile graced the face of the kazekage; a rare sight to see and enough to make anyone absolutely melt if they were lucky enough to see it. Neji was no exception.

Every instinct in his being told him to stop, to think about what he was doing, but it was too late. The brunette leaned forward on the bed and pressed his lips against Gaara's, softly. He expected Gaara to turn away or become angry with him but he didn't move. The young Hyuuga wasn't sure why he did something so reckless. He just felt so grateful to the red head and when he smiled…

Neji pulled away slowly and looked up at the younger man. He didn't seem angry or even embarrassed; just surprised. He began to back away. If he stayed there much longer… He had to leave. Poor Gaara was so confused. No one had ever tried to do something like that to him. He didn't know how else to react. He turned and left the room without a word, leaving behind a very hurt Neji…


	5. Chapter 5

Gaara paced nervously in his office. Neji Hyuuga had kissed him. _Kissed him!_ He wanted it so badly too… but it was wrong. He couldn't take advantage of Neji like that. Besides, there was too much on the line right now. The shinobi he had sent for a few days ago would be arriving soon. He went over the plan in his head, just to make sure he didn't screw up and give them the wrong idea and get someone hurt or worse.

Just then, a knock at the door sounded and Gaara allowed entry for the strangers behind the door. An assistant walked in and introduced that the shinobi from the leaf had arrived. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji walked in along with Naruto and the others that had been there for days conductiong further investigations (without much luck) including Neji. Gaara couldn't help but notice that Choji and Ino seemed to stand surprisingly close to each other nor could he help the slight reddening of his cheeks at the sight of the older man.

"I'm glad to see you three made it here safely." He began toward the new three, "Now, to the matter at hand. We had recently captured a suspect in the kidnappings that have been going on recently. The information we obtained through interrogation proved interesting but is most likely a trap. However, it is the only lead we have to go on and must be investigated. I trust that the others have told you the location to which you are going." Gaara spoke professionally to Shikamaru, seeing as he was the team's leader.

The man nodded, "So when do we leave." He said in a sleepy, yet totally serious tone.

"…Immediately." The red head spoke with wavering confidence, remembering that Neji had only just recovered from his ordeal.

The leaf shinobi nodded and left to prepare for the likely battle ahead. Gaara sighed and leaned heavily agaist his desk, fighting every urge to go running after the Hyuuga and using everything in his power to keep him from leaving.

**. . .**

A week had passed without so much as a word from the team the young Kazekage had dispatched in an attempt to locate and rescue the kidnapped villagers. It tour at his nerves and slept even less than he normally did in the first place. He was anxious, irritable, and most of all, worried about Neji. Not that he was completely unconcerned about the others. It was just that, the others hadn't been hurt a few days prior to the mission. He paced in every room he could find in the large mansion of the Kazekage's.

He had just returned to his office to do some more pacing when an assistant came for him frantically trying to explain what had happened in the last few moments, "Calm yourself." Gaara soothed, "Now, slowly, tell me what happened."

"T-they've returned! The leaf shinobi! And the missing villagers! They're all back! A few were injured and two of the leaf ninja were as well but-!"

Gaara needed to hear no more! He pushed passed the stammering woman and briskly walked…oh, to hell with it! He _ran_ as fast as his legs would carry him to the infirmary. Panic rose within him with each step he took and soon his fears were justified to see that one of the ninja injured was Neji. Although, he didn't seem to be in much pain. In fact, before Gaara had practically burst through the door, the older male had been having a conversation with his fellow leaf shinobi and one other girl he didn't quite recognize.

They all had this sort of shocked look on their faces to see the mighty Kazekage of the Sand Village so exasperated, huffing in puffing in the door way like he had just run a marathon. The girl that Neji had been talking to became almost excessively excited and ran across the room before rapping Gaara in a tight embrace.

"Gaara-sama!" she chimed.

It wasn't until she spoke and fearlessly hugged Gaara that the red head recognized her, "M-Masturi…!" he said, returning the hug.

She was bruised around the face and her hair seemed a bit longer but it was definitely her. No one else would dare approach him so fearlessly, without any regard to his status as the leader of the village.

Neji looked at the scene with an ache in his chest. His suspicions were confirmed the moment Gaara returned Matsuri's embrace. It seemed he would always be alone.

The day past on into night and Neji had been left alone earlier in the day to rest. He couldn't sleep, however. Too many emotions plagued him at the time. He was crushed that Gaara would never return his feelings (even though he himself was unsure of them either), happy that they had completed the mission successfully, anxious about returning home to Konoha…

A creek suddenly, from the door of his private hospital room, broke the silence of the night. He tensed and pretended to be asleep, ready to attack in case someone would be foolish enough to attack him. Nearly inaudible footsteps made their way to his bed. A warm hand brushed a lock of hair from his face and his eyes shot open to see the pale blue-green pair that he had become so fond of.

"G-Gaara?" was all the Hyuuga could manage to whisper.

"Uh…sorry. I didn't mean to wake you…" he said blushing furiously.

"It's fine. I wasn't really able sleep anyway."

"Are you in pain?"

"No, just a little sore. I was thinking too much, is all…"

"…About what?" Gaara asked hesitantly. He dared to hope that maybe…

"…Just…about how the mission went…how almost everyone was alive when we found them…how happy you were to see Matsuri again…" Neji nearly choked on those words, the lump in his throat had become so big.

Gaara felt slightly disappointed to hear the other man hadn't been thinking solely about him, "It's true. I was happy to see my dear friend again. I missed her a great deal. Me and her husband."

"Husband?" Neji struggled to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Yes, she's married; has been for almost a year now. It was a nice ceremony-"

"So then…you two aren't a couple…?" Neji interrupted.

"No." Gaara blushed slightly at the thought. He had never thought Matsuri to be anything short of a second sister to him. To think of being with her in an intimate way was quite uncomfortable.

Neji swallowed hard, gripping at the sheets as he dared to hope beyond all hope that maybe, just maybe... there was only one way to find out, "I…I wanted to apologize…for the…k-kiss… I had no right to do that, to put you in such an awkward position…"

If Gaara wasn't blushing before, he sure as hell was now. Wait, what was Neji trying to say? That he actually thought the redhead hadn't enjoyed that kiss they shared? "It's alright…" Gaara mustered up all his courage for the next few words that were about to come from his mouth, "I-I…liked it…"

Neji froze. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Did Gaara actually say that he enjoyed that kiss? The Hyuuag looked to the kazekage with hope in his eyes and Gaara did the same. Neither moved, afraid this whole thing was either a misunderstanding or a dream that would end too soon if they rushed things.

Hesitantly, the redhead leaned down, his lips brushing lightly against the others. Their breaths mingled and shy tongues licked at soft lips before the kiss became more passionate, their confidence growing with each passing second.

Gaara felt an unbearable heat in his loins as he moved closer and closer to Neji. Before either new it, the younger male was on top of the brunette, his hips grinding against the other's. Their kiss broke for an instant, giving each other a chance to catch their breath and contemplate whether or not to go on. Everything seemed to be moving so fast but in the heat of the moment it didn't really seem to matter.

Neji's hips bucked demandingly underneath Gaara and it wasn't long before they each felt the need to feel skin on skin. Hands desperately removed clothing and glided along battle scared skin. Gaara was surprised to find himself suddenly underneath Neji and almost protested to the new position until the brunette began to bite and suck on the younger's neck trailing kisses down until lips met his sensitive nipple and latched on without mercy.

Gaara gasped in surprise and ecstasy with the new sensation as Neji brought two fingers to his mouth. He instinctually took the digits into his mouth and lathered them with saliva, unaware of what the older man had planned for him.

When the brunette felt that his fingers had been slicked enough, he replaced them with his lips as he, without so much as a warning, poked one finger into Gaara's entrance. The redhead groaned at this strange feeling and took in a sharp breath of air as the second digit was soon added. However, the pain soon subsided and he began to enjoy the feeling of Neji inside of him. He wanted him deeper…deeper… His hips buck impatiently until the brunette brushed a very sensitive spot deep inside of him. He let out a cry of shier pleasure and begged Neji for more.

The older man smiled against his lips as he removed his fingures and positioned himself at Gaara's entrance. With one eased thrust, Neji was inside of Gaara in a whole new way. The redhead gasped and sighed as Neji began to thrust in and out of him slowly at first, then haster, harder. He brushed against Gaara's prostate again, earning him yet another cry of ecstasy from the younger male. The two moved in time to the other and with each thrust grew closer to their climax. Gaara let out a loud moan ad he spilled his seed over his chest. A few more thrusts and Neji was sighing the kazekage's name as he reached his orgasim.

The two collapsed in a heated and panting mess. Neji couldn't help but think how adorable Gaara looked, flushed faced and completely naked underneath him. He gently kissed the younger male and whispered sweet nothings in his ear until he fell asleep. Just before Neji joined him in the realm of dreams he thought to himself how he would have to make more trips to the sand village much more often.

**AN: OMG! I'm so sorry my loyal readers! I haven't updated at all for sooooooo long! I was almost done with this chapter when my computer crashed and I never got around to re-typing it until now! If it make you all feel any better, I stayed up all night righting this in one sitting… actually that might not make you feel any better considering how short it is. But anyway, this is the last chapter. I was going to make it a bit longer but like I said, I've been rather lazy as of late.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of sweet yaoi-ness! I lurvs u all! X3**

**~Yuki-chan **


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